The first occasion I made this dish was a long overdue family get together with little time to pull something together. The Sable and Rosenfeld cookbook came through again. The buttermilk makes the chicken tender and moist. If you are lucky, there will be leftovers. The potatoes were divine, use vegetable stock for the vegetarian version and the Brussel sprouts sweetened with a hint of maple syrup were a big hit.
*I decreased the amount of butter and breadcrumbs by half from the original amounts of 1 1/2 cups (125 ml) fine dry breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup (175 ml/170 g/6 oz) butter, 1/2 cup (125 ml) sesame seeds. Melt more butter if you need to baste while the chicken is cooking.
Sesame Baked Chicken
8 servings
8 pieces chicken, legs or breasts (4lbs/2 kgs)
2 1/2 cups (625 ml) buttermilk
6 tbsp (90 ml/85 g/3 oz/) butter, melted*
2 tbsp (25 ml) lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cups (65 ml) fine dry breadcrumbs*
1/4 cup (125 ml) sesame seeds
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1/4 91 ml) tsp white pepper
2 tbsp (25 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- In a shallow baking dish, arrange chicken pieces. Pour buttermilk over chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next morning, pour off buttermilk and pat chicken dry.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450°F (220°C)
- In a shallow dish, combine butter, lemon juice and garlic. In another dish combine breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, salt, pepper and Parmesan.
- Dip chicken in butter mixture, then roll in breadcrumb mixture to coat each piece well. Arrange chicken in a single layer in baking pan. Drizzle any remaining butter over chicken.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F (180°C) and continue to bake, basing occasionally with drippings, for 1 hour, until golden brown and tender.
Source: Page 185, The Sable and Rosenfeld Cookbook: Our Favorite Recipes, by Myra Sable and Colleen Mathieu
Gratin Savoyard
serves 8
This dish is a stunner and reheats like a dream. I made the vegetarian friendly version.
2 lbs (1 kg) potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet, peeled and thinly slices
1/8 cup (25 ml) sweet butter
2 cups (500 ml) grated Gruyere cheese (about 1/2 lb)
1/2 tsp (2 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (250 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)
- Lightly oil an 8 cup (2 l) glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes in an overlapping layer in baking dish.
- Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese, salt and pepper. Dot with 1/3 of the butter. Repeat in two more layers wiht remainng ingredients. Pour stock over top of potatoes.
- Bake in middle of oven for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 350°F (180°C). Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, until golden brown and very tender.
Source: Page 266, Cookbook as above
Brussel Sprouts in Maple Syrup Vinaigrette
Serves 4 to 8
1 lb (500 g) of brussel sprouts, trimmed. (frozen baby brussel sprouts are a good way to go)
2 tbsp (50 ml) balsamic vinegar
Dressing
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
2 tbsp (25 ml) maple syrup
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) dry mustard
1/2 (2 ml) dried basil
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1/4 tsp (1 ml) freshly ground black pepper
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook brussel sprouts about 10 minutes, until tender crisp. Drain well. Place in a bowl and immediately toss with vinegar.
- Whisk together oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, mustard, basil, salt and pepper.
- Pour over brussel sprouts and serve immediately or at room temperature.
Source: Page 281, Sable and Rosenfeld cookbook as above